If Only...
by Random
Summary: A fire traps your wife and child inside your house. You only have time to save one. Who? How will you live afterward?


Preface: Alright! This isn't going to be a funny story to read, this isn't going to be an adventurous story to read and it might get depressing. One of my friends gave me this idea… but she told me if I wrote this story she wouldn't read it because she didn't want to feel all sad and depressed. Nah…you probably won't be all sad and depressed after you read this story! This is creatively based off a script from a forensics meet my friend and I competed in. (We took second) (by the way…it's not a good story! It could be so much more developed…lol, but the script was only a page long, didn't have much detail so I kinda wung it. Yeah… sad excuse I know, but give me some time and I will write better stories… ((I'm busy with Newsies right now. Lol))  
  
Intro: What would you do if your house was on fire and both your wife and child were inside? If you only had time to save one, who would you save? How would you live with yourself afterward? These are two things Cale must deal with.  
  
  
  
1 If Only…  
  
Cale walked slowly up to Akima, who was sitting on the couch. Her face was red with anger and tears. She didn't hear Cale behind her, or didn't want to.  
  
"Akima…." Cale approached his wife of now four years.  
  
Three months had past since the fire and niether Akima or Cale had fully recovered from the loss of their daughter Danielle.  
  
"Akima…" Cale persisted.  
  
Akima sat up, "Now what?"  
  
"You're back early today."  
  
"Where did I go?" Akima sighed defiantly.  
  
"I thought…"  
  
"You thought I what Cale? Who would I go to see?" Akima stammered, standing up, still refusing to face him.  
  
"Well, maybe the doctor. I was worried that…"  
  
"That I was sick? I'm not sick Cale. I never was. I never went to see the doctor when I told you I was. I just needed to get out. To see her again…even though there's not much left. Just a headstone…"  
  
"We should maybe plant some flowers." Cale offered sympathetically.  
  
"This interests you now? Why didn't it three months ago? When it all happened?" Akima spun around, facing him boldly.  
  
Cale was taken aback. She had dark circles under her eyes, which were red, stained with tears. "You know, Akima, she was my daughter too."  
  
"She was?! Really? There's a news flash. Where were you when she was born?"  
  
"I…I told you! That wasn't my fault. You weren't due for another four days! I had a business meeting. I wasn't going to risk my job for that…" Cale paused, realizing he stepped over the line, "I'm sorry. I should have been there. You're right." He whispered.  
  
Akima's eyes shot fire at Cale, "You devil. You self-centered little..."  
  
"Akima!" Cale shot back, "Look what we're doing!"  
  
Akima nodded, "I'm not blind Cale. But I never started this to begin with. I'll just be the one to finish it. I was there at the beginning. I never left her, until you made me leave her. Alone, by herself…to die. How selfish!"  
  
Cale paused, "What?"  
  
"What were you thinking that night anyway? Two years later, stumbling in at four a.m. Seriously. You might have just not come home at all."  
  
"You're blaming me for coming home late from work?"  
  
"Yes! I'm blaming you! But not for coming home late! I blame you for coming home!" Akima stepped away from Cale.  
  
"For coming home? I saved your life! Are you going to blame me for that too?" Cale argued, starting to tense up.  
  
"Yes. I do. I have. I will." Akima calmly stated, wringing her hands a bit.  
  
Cale couldn't breath. The last comment knocked him over, harder then if he had been hit in the face. "You do?" He whispered out, "You…blame…me for saving your life that night? I came home, the house was on fire and I rushed in to save you. And now…you are blaming me for saving your life?"  
  
"Why Cale? Why shouldn't I? Didn't you love Danielle?" Akima cried.  
  
"I loved Danielle as much as you did! But I loved YOU Akima! I still love YOU! You think I saved you because I didn't love her?" Cale struggled with the words, "Do you know how much I care for you? God, if I lost you…" Cale held Akima close to himself.  
  
"But you did lose me." She stated blankly, pulling away from him, "I didn't go to see the doctor today because I went to see a counselor."  
  
Cale nodded, "That's good."  
  
"Not a therapist…not one of those counselors…I went to a divorce counselor. I'm getting a divorce. I just can't live with this anymore."  
  
"Can't live with what?" Cale's heart sank into his stomach. He couldn't think, he felt numb all over.  
  
"I can't live with knowing you chose me over her. She had such a promising future Cale, she had a future. She could grow up in a new world, full of everything she could ever dream of."  
  
"What about you Akima. What about your life? Your future? Your dreams?"  
  
"This isn't about me Cale." Akima frowned, her anger diminishing.  
  
"This is ALL about you. Akima, I can't lose you. You are all I have in my life. There is nothing after you. We have a future. We have dreams, together. You are my life.I know your…your…hopes, your fantasies, your fears and your everything! You're a part of me and there is nothing I wouldn't do for you! Just, understand Akima, you were the first thing I thought of when I came home that night. If you're going to hate me for loving you and saving your life I can't stop you, I can't demand you to love me again for something I did. I have to trust you." Cale sat down with tears in his eyes, "I've trusted you before, you normally do the right thing. If you can't live with this? Don't. I'm not going to stop you, I don't want to keep hurting you."  
  
Akima blinked back tears. Her clenched hands, now red and wet with sweat, released their hold on the air around them. She couldn't think of what to say. She knew Cale loved her, she knew he only had time to save one of them. Danielle would be missed deeply, but she still had Cale to hang on to until she felt better about herself. After Dany's death, Akima didn't feel she could go on. Unfortunately, she couldn't see the one person standing in front of her who loved her more then life itself. Akima knelt down a few feet from Cale and cried, burying her face in her hands.  
  
"Cale. I don't know what to say. I can't live with you, but I know I'll never be able to live without you. Danielle was my life, but before her, you were the only one. You still are. I can't deny that Cale. You're my life. I would do anything for you, but I don't know if I can now. Everytime I look at you I see her in your face."  
  
Cale sat down next to Akima, holding her, rocking her back and forth in his arms, "Then see her in my face and remember her. You can have both of us at the same time Akima. You don't need to chose. I need you to remember Dany as well. I can still see her in your face. Believe me Akima, this is all I need right now. You are the only thing I need in this world. Just remember that."  
  
"I…I need you…Cale."  
  
He nodded, "Forever." 


End file.
